Pesto Portobellos with Veggie Fried Rice

I must admit, this started as a bit of a grab-bag meal to use up leftovers in my fridge, but it is definitely going to now make it into the regular rotation. I always love mushrooms, but in this case freshly made pesto elevates them even more, making them the star of the plate.

Meanwhile, veggie fried rice not only lets me make use of a hodgepodge of vegetables (and leftover basmati!) but appeals to even the pickiest of eaters. It comes together in minutes, too, making it a great choice for a weeknight. (And it doesn't hurt that it helps fight food waste... tell your kids they are heroes for avoiding more methane emissions!)

Time: 30 min

Pesto Portobellos

Time: 25 min

*this was adapted from a NYTimes Cooking recipe*

Ingredients:

5 portobello caps

1.5 tsp + 1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 cups fresh basil, stems removed

2 tbsp pine nuts

3 garlic cloves

1/2 c grated Parmesan

Get your oven pre-heating to 400 degrees.

Wash the portobello caps and trim the stem as necessary. (There is no reason to cut it all off - you'll just lose more delicious mushroom!) Brush 1.5 tsp of olive oil evenly on both sides of the mushrooms and place them cap side down on a baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with black pepper. Roast for ten minutes.

While the mushrooms are roasting, make the pesto. Put the basil, pint nuts, and garlic in a small food processor and process until finely chopped. While it's running, drizzle in the remaining 1/2 c of olive oil and process until smooth. Add the Parmesan and pulse just until evenly incorporated.

When the ten minutes are up, remove the mushrooms and evenly divide the pesto across the caps. Roast for another ten minutes and enjoy.

Veggie Fried Rice

Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

1 tbsp sesame oil

1/2 sweet onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

~2 c leftover veggies: in this one I used zucchini, mushrooms, and asparagus, chopped

1/2 egg white (or 2-3 eggs)

~3 c leftover, cold basmati rice (or similar)

3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 tsp black pepper

Get two teaspoons of the sesame oil heating over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute for 3-5 minutes or until it begins to soften and lightly brown. Add the minced garlic and saute for another 1-2 minutes. Then, add whatever vegetables you are using. In this case, I used leftover zucchini, mushrooms, and asparagus, but in the past I've used peas, corn, edamame, peppers, and others. Customize based on what's on hand! Saute for another 3-5 minutes. This is a great chance to perk up vegetables nearing the end of their life.

Push the veggies to the side of the pan and add the egg white (or beaten eggs) and scramble, taking about three minutes to cook through. Mix thoroughly into the vegetables.

Add the leftover rice. I used basmati but you can use other longer grain rices. Cold, leftover rice works best. Mix in the rice and then let it sit for 3-4 minutes to get slightly crispy. Add the soy sauce, remaining tsp of sesame oil, and black pepper to taste. Mix well and remove when fully heated through. Enjoy!